A beginners guide to Premier League fantasy football

One of the biggest problems new fantasy Premier League football managers have when playing has to do with tactics and how to deploy them. Many newer fantasy sports followers may not realise it at first, but tactics and knowing who to play is vital to picking up points, winning matches and obtaining prizes.

Drafting, picking an XI and winning

Let’s start with selecting players, which may seem like an easy task, but it is anything but easy. Starting out, your fantasy Premier League’s cash allocation may seem great, but once you start piecing together your fantasy football team you will find the money disappears faster than someone on Roy Keane’s hit list. Of course, you will want to grab some big name, top-quality players. However, it is ideal to do some research and look for those players that would fit into the “Moneyball” category. Those players will be perfect if the top stars are out of form, injured or banned. These players could be best suited as defenders, goalkeepers or in form midfielders.

Attack! Attack! Attack!

One of the main tactics that fantasy Premier League players will employ is fielding a team with three attacking players that will gain most of the team’s points. In this case, being up to date on who is playing good football is important, and relying on statistics is much more recommend than on hunches. However, look at the fixture lists. If you have a striker from the top team in the league and they are playing the bottom club, it is obviously a great idea to get that player into your starting XI.

In connection to the above paragraph, it is best practice for a fantasy Premier League manager to pick strong strikers when their team is at home to weak defensive teams. So, keep up to date on stats other than goals scored and assists as it is important when picking a successful team.

The Experts say…

One of the tactics experts of fantasy English Premier League swear by, is to refrain from buying expensive goalkeepers and defenders. Being that most of your points will come from the team’s attacking players, focus your money there in the early part of the season. Quality defenders and goalkeepers can be found, so look for them base on form or as low-cost buys. You can get someone for quite cheap starting out, and once they hit form, the player’s value is sky high. Someone may then pay you a large transfer fee for them, which can then be used to buy the best striker in the fantasy Premier League.

Formations to attack

Managers of fantasy Premier League football should also pick attacking formations. Using a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 eliminates one defender, and defensive players rarely add points to your team on fantasy match day.

Lose your patience

Patience is not a virtue in Fantasy Premier League. Buying in form players who have had a good week can be the difference between you winning your league and finishing dead last. Keeping players that have had two to three weeks of poor play, and haven’t gained you any points, must be sold off. If they come back in form, buy them back later. But the season is too cutthroat and too much changes week to week to stick with the same underperforming players.

Think fast and don’t be afraid to bin someone off if they’ve not scored or set up a goal in two weeks. Your fantasy Premier League team can’t wait for them to get back in form and neither can you.